Spain tackles low condom use:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Low condom use in Spain has prompted the government to strengthen its AIDS awareness campaign, in a bid to reduce infection rates. 41% of Spaniards who had occasional sexual relations in 2004 did not use a condom, even though 96.7% of the population consider condoms to be "very" or "quite" effective in preventing HIV transmission, according to the health ministry's national public health survey 2004. The death toll from AIDS in Spain stands at more than 42,000, while around 120,000 are currently infected with HIV. The government has succeeded in securing a measure of support from the Catholic Church regarding the use of condoms and the public perception of their importance in reducing the risk of infection (see this issue, page X).